Naruto: The Winds of Change
by mangame
Summary: A what if of Naruto based on Ultimate Ninja 2. Starts from Survival Battle. Violence & Language. NOW REWRITTEN
1. The Battle Inside the Forest of Death

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto created several shadow clones and jumped into the river located inside the Forest of Death. He flailed about in the water, grabbing as many fish as possible. He then threw three fish out of the water, allowing Sasuke to catch the fish with his kunai.

"Do it again dumbass, we need to conserve food," said Sasuke. "Three fish isn't enough. Do it at least three more times."

"Shut up! This is really tiring," retorted a wet Naruto. "Why don't you try doing this?"

"Because you can't aim for crap."

"Oh you're begging for an ass kicking!"

"Sasuke-kun, it's all set up for a fire!" called Sakura. "All we need now is a Goukakyu!"

"Geez, am I the only one who can do anything around here?" wondered Sasuke aloud, just in earshot of a certain someone.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!"

ONE FIREBALL LATER

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were sitting in a circle around the fire where their fish were cooking.

"It's been four afternoons since the second test started," noted Sasuke. "We entered the Forest of Death at around 2:30. So we have about 25-26 hours left.

"Many teams may have already passed by now, which means…" Sakura trailed off.

"_This fish better get to cooking right now," _thought Naruto. _"This one here is the largest."_

"_This is getting really bad," _thought Sasuke, looking at his earth scroll.

"You know guys, there might not be any more Heaven scrolls," said Sakura.

"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke.

"If you remember, there were 78 genin who took the test, in other words 26 teams. There were thirteen of each scroll given out, of the maximum amount of teams that could pass is thirteen. But that weird snake guy burned one of the scrolls, meaning that the potential passing teams went from thirteen to twelve. Plus eighty percent of the exam is over. If I were to make an estimate, I'd say that there are probably only two or three more teams left."

"That means that the next enemy is our last chance," noted Sasuke. He then stood up. "I'm going to get some water."

"Hey, Sakura," said Naruto after Sasuke had left. "I think there's a way to get scrolls without fighting."

Naruto unpacked his bag, revealing at least six scrolls.

"You don't mean…"

"That's exactly what I mean. I have ton's of scrolls, ninjutsu manuals, poison manual, black ones. If we change just one to look like a heaven scroll…"

"Wait, we don't know what's on the inside. When the next examiner looks in we'll be caught red-handed."

"These things usually have some sort of password that needs two parts to understand. Basically if we know the password, we get in."

"But we don't know what's written in the-"

"That's exactly why we're going to look inside it."

"You idiot! The examiner told us not to look into the scroll under any circumstances! This would make us cheaters!"

"Well this is our last option."

"… Fine but just a peek okay?"

Naruto held the scroll tightly as his and Sakura's hearts both pounded heavily. Naruto had just gotten his thumb under the fold of the scroll when a hand stopped him. The hand belonged to a young man with a silver ponytail and glasses.

"K-Kabuto-san!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Kabuto.

It was at this exact moment that Sasuke had returned and only saw Kabuto's silhoutte. Thinking he was an enemy, Sasuke rushed to his teammates' aide. The ponytailed genin managed to block Sasuke's kick. Then, upon seeing the genin's face, Sasuke stopped his attack.

ONE EXPLANATION LATER

"What the hell were you two thinking?" berated Sasuke.

"We're sorry…"

"You could've gotten us disqualified!"

"We're sorry…"

"You guys are lucky that I showed up when I did," said Kabuto.

"We're sorry…"

"If you ignore the rules, you'll be forced into a condition of retirement from the exam. Last year they put a hypnosis jutsu in the scroll so that if you looked inside you'd be knocked out until the end of the exam."

"By the way, Kabuto, what are you doing out here alone?" inquired Sasuke.

"Well, it's not like I'm after your scroll."

"True. If you were, you could've just taken it from Naruto back then. I assume that means that you also have an Earth scroll."

"Actually, I already have both," said Kabuto, taking out the two scrolls. "I was just on my way to the tower to meet up with my teammates. And I best get going now."

"Hold up," ordered Sasuke, just as Kabuto was about to leave. "Fight me."

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Hey you jackass, Kabuto-san helped us! Ingrate!"

"Sorry, Kabuto, but we don't have any more time left. I said that the next opponent would be our last chance, and I meant it."

"You're a bad liar, Sasuke-kun," said Kabuto. "You don't want to fight me at all, otherwise you would've attacked me without asking. You're not as cold hearted as you put on."

"You're right about that, I'm not much of a cold-hearted person… but, as a ninja, there are things I don't want to do that I _have _to do!"

Sasuke attacked Kabuto, but the older genin blocked his punch. Sasuke then jumped back and threw a kunai at Kabuto, which was easily deflected. However, this was merely a distraction for Sasuke to get under Kabuto and kick him several feet away.

"I see, you're serious aren't you?" asked Kabuto. _"This could prove a good opportunity to test his abilities."_

"Sasuke, you're being a prick you know that right!"

Sasuke answered both questions with silence as he sized up his opponent-to-be.

"Very well," said Kabuto, making a series of handseals. _"Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu!"_

Kabuto then disappeared underground. Sasuke looked around in order to detect his foe with little success. However, through experience from fighting Kakashi, Sasuke jumped into the air to avoid being pulled underground by Kabuto's attack. Kabuto was left wide open to a _Goukakyu_ from Sasuke. The fireball collided with the earth, creating a large smokescreen. Sasuke landed on the ground, still on his guard in case Kabuto somehow evaded the attack.

"Damn it, Sasuke!" cursed Naruto. "You're always taking things too far!"

"Shut up, dumb-ass! I'm doing what I have to!"

"You'd best not get distracted, Sasuke-kun," said Kabuto from behind Sasuke. The ponytailed ninja's foot collided with Sasuke's back knocking him face-first onto the ground.

"You really deserved that, Sasuke," laughed Naruto.

"Shut up, Naruto," ordered Sakura. "Sasuke-kun's right about this, we don't have any other choice but to fight at this point.

"But Sakura-chan…"

"You won't be able to take my scroll at this rate," said Kabuto.

"_Damn it, I didn't want to have to use this… but…" _thought Sasuke, activating his Sharingan.

"_So that's the famed Sharingan,"_ thought Kabuto.

However, strange markings began to form from the odd bruise on Sasuke's neck. The raven-haired genin clutched his neck in pain.

"Sasuke-kun!" called Sakura in worry.

"Crap! _Kagebunshin no Jutsu!" _called Naruto, creating several clones of himself.

The Naruto clones charged at Kabuto, however the ponytailed teen was able to dispatch of each one without much effort.

"_Kabuto-san has really taken the Chunin Exam seven times without passing, even with his strength?" _wondered Sakura. _"Just what _are _the Chunin Exams?"_

"_I can't get too serious here," _thought Kabuto. _"There are still other things I need to take care of."_

Kabuto was distracted by his thoughts and hadn't noticed a Curse Marked Sasuke sneak up in front of him. Sasuke kicked Kabuto into the air, akin to Rock Lee's _Omote Renge. _He then followed up by appearing behind Kabuto, imitating his shadow.

"_Kage Buyou (Dancing Leaf Shadow)?" _thought Kabuto in surprise.

Sasuke then threw a kick, but Kabuto blocked the attack. However, the raven-hair used his momentum to land a backhand to Kabuto's face, causing him to fall to the ground. Sasuke then wrapped up by delivering an axe kick to Kabuto's chest, slamming him against the ground.

"_Shishi Rendan (Lion Combo)!_"

Kabuto was rendered immobile by the attack and Sasuke also felt the effects from the attack. Sasuke then deactivated his Sharingan, also causing his Curse Mark to recede.

"Naruto, Sakura, root through his pockets and try to find the scrolls," ordered Sasuke. "It's time we headed off to that castle."

ONE STRIP SEARCH LATER

Team 7 had left the vicinity to go off towards the goal, having retrieved the scrolls from Kabuto. Kabuto was now standing where Sasuke had "defeated" him, completely uninjured.

"Interesting, he was able to fight through the Curse Mark," he mused aloud. "Well, I should probably meet back up with the others so we can deliver the information to Orochimaru-sama."

TO BE CONTINUED…

And thus ends the first chapter of the Naruto: Winds of Change rewrite. The next chapter is likely going to be a little less action packed, but this story will be AWESOMER than before :D


	2. The End of the Second Exam

INSIDE THE CASTLE

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood inside a large, high ceiling room with tow balconies on either side. Between the two balconies was a portrait containing a paragraph of kanji. It was quite a quaint room but the only problem was…

"Nobody's here," said Naruto. "This is kind of a let down."

"Look at that," said Sakura, pointing out the framed paragraph.

_If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared. If you lack earth, run in the fields, seek advantages. These rules will guide a ______ extremes._

"What the hell does it even mean?" asked Naruto after reading the text. "It looks like some of it might be missing."

"It's probably referring to the scrolls," answered Sakura. "I think it's telling us to open them."

"Alright," said Naruto, taking out the two scrolls and handing one over to Sakura. The genin team paused in anxiety and suspense before puffing out their chests and unfolding the scrolls.

"_A summoning type scroll?" _thought Sasuke after seeing smoke rising from the scrolls. "Naruto, Sakura, let go of the scrolls!"

Naruto and Sakura complied, throwing the scrolls away from their bodies before a large burst of smoke arose from the scrolls. A familiar silhouette stood in the smoke before it cleared.

"Iruka-sensei!" called Naruto in surprise.

"Long time no see, guys," said the scarred instructor. He then examined the three genin. "It looks like you guys had a lot of trouble."

"But why are you here, Iruka-sensei?" asked Naruto.

"At the end of the second test, we chunin are supposed to meet up with the exam takers, and I was allowed to be the one to greet you." Iruka then examined a pocket watch. "You guys made it just in time. Congratulations, you three have passed the second test. Usually to celebrate your achievement I would buy you each a round of ramen but-"

"We did it!" interrupted Naruto, tackling his former teacher in excitement.

Sasuke and Sakura slumped to the ground in exhaustion each thinking, _"Well, it's good to see that _someone _still has energy left."_

"You're just as excitable as ever, Naruto."

"I get it now," said Sasuke with a slight grin. His teammates looked at him with confusion. "So, Iruka, if we had opened the scrolls during the test, what would have done?"

"It's good to see you haven't lost any of your keenness, Sasuke," complimented Iruka. "As you may have been told, this test's rules are set up to test your team's ability to follow the orders given to you on a mission. So if you were to break the rules by opening the scrolls, the examinee would have been knocked out for the remainder of the test."

"Then it's a good thing you guys didn't open the scroll," said Sasuke.

"_Thank you, Kabuto-san," _thought Naruto and Sakura.

"By the way, Sensei, what's the meaning of the writing on the wall?" asked Sakura. "It seems like there are parts missing."

"Yes, my other job was to explain that," began Iruka. "This is the motto of the chunin. The 'heaven' in the paragraph refers to the mind and 'earth' refers to the body. 'If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared.' For example, Naruto's weakness is his brain, so he should get smarter and prepare himself better. 'If you lack earth, run in the fields, seek advantages.' Since Sakura's weakness lies in her stamina, she must continue to train hard. Having both heaven and earth will make missions easier and safer for you."

"And the bit with the missing word?"

"On the scrolls was the word 'person.' That is the blank word there. 'These rules will guide a person's extremes.' These past five days of survival were testing your abilities as a chunin. Chunin are at the rank of military captains, and you may have to lead a team. Knowledge, stamina, and balance are essential to carry out those duties. I want you guys to challenge the next step with this motto in mind."

"Yessir!"

"However, this is the last test. Don't push yourselves too hard."

"Sensei, from the moment we received these headbands we were no longer students of the academy, so you're not allowed to worry about us. These are symbols of our growth not just as ninjas. We're not kids anymore."

"_Well said Naruto," _thought Iruka. _"Maybe the one who really has the best comprehension of their skills is you, Kakashi."_

LATER

Six teams had passed the second test and were now standing in a large enclosed room with a statue of two hands forming a Hitsuji seal. In front of them were their jonin instructors, the proctors for the exam, and the Hokage himself. The six passing teams were Team 7: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura; Team 8: Kiba, Hinata, and Shino; Team 10: Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji; Rock Lee's team; the Sound ninja team, and the three Sand siblings.

The old man stepped forward. "Before I explain the third test, there is something else I'd like you to know. It concerns the true reason behind the exam. Now, why do all the allied countries take the exam together? Is it to promote friendship between the countries? No, the exam is a replacement for war among allied countries. If you go back far enough, all the current allies were enemies. They would fight for dominance in the ninja world. But now we have shinobi representatives, fighting with their lives on the line to protect their land's prestige. The third exam will be watched by several leaders, daimyos, and influential individuals who come from lands that are clients of the participants. If the strength of a country is clear, then that country will receive more clients, but if it is weak…"

"But why do _we_ have to risk _our_ lives?" interrupted Kiba.

"The strength of a country is the strength of its village. And the strength of a village is the strength of its shinobi. And the strength of a shinobi is born only through risking one's own life. Before we continue I would like to say one last thing: this last test is not a test at all, but actually a full-out battle with our lives, dreams, and country's prestige at stake. Now I would like to explain the third test to you but…"

A sickly-looking Konoha shinobi stepped forward. "Hello everyone, my name is Hayate Gekko, and there's an important matter at hand. Usually we're only supposed to have three or four teams remaining after the second exams but as you can see, we have six. Before the final test we'll need to narrow down the amount of participants. As Hokage-sama said, there will be many important guests at the third test, so we will be pressed for time. So, uh, if anyone wants to give up, please do so now, because we'll be starting the preliminaries right away."

In the back of the group, Sakura and Sasuke began to have a little chat.

"Sasuke-kun, you should quit now," advised Sakura. "Ever since that weird guy attacked us you've been weird. That bruise on your neck still hurts, doesn't it? It's not worth it to see you in so much pain over a silly exam."

"Sakura, shut up. This isn't just a test to me. I could care less whether or not I became a chunin. 'Am I stong?' I won't be able to answer that question unless I fight the strong people here."

"Sasuke, quit with the cool guy act," ordered Naruto, butting into the conversation. "Sakura-chan's worried and-"

"I also want to fight you, Naruto."

"_Sasuke…"_

"Well, it seems like no one's giving up, so let's begin," coughed Hayate. "There are eighteen entrants here so there will be nine one-on-one battles. Being a shinobi battle there are no rules. The match will end when someone dies, is K.O'ed or forfeits. We don't want a pile-up of corpses so I'll stop the fight if I deem fit." Hayate then pointed to a screen situated behind the Hitsuji statue. "That electronic scoreboard will pick two names at random to decide the match-ups. And without further ado, start the selection."

The eighteen genin stared anxiously at the scoreboard until two names were flashed: Zaku Abumi and Sasuke Uchiha.

"_Looks like I can get payback for my arms," _thought Zaku grinning evilly.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. The Preliminaries Begin

"Now, we will start the first match," announced Hayate. "Will everyone who is not fighting please move to the upper balconies?"

The people inside the room all complied, however Kakashi stopped for a moment when he walked by Sasuke.

"Don't use the Sharingan," he whispered.

"So you knew?"

"If that mark on your neck activates, you might lose your life. but if that happens I'll just jump in and stop the fight, got it?"

"_Stop the fight!" _thought Sasuke in surprise. _"It seems like this thing on my neck reacts to my chakra. If I try to release my chakra, it steals control of my body and starts pulling out all my energy. So no only is my Sharingan sealed, I can't even use my normal jutsu!" _Sasuke then took a closer look at his opponent. _"On second thought, I might be fine. He can't use his arms, meaning he has no ninjutsu and his taijutsu is severely limited."_

"You may now begin," the sickly jonin coughed.

"I'm kind of insulted," bluffed Sasuke through his pain. "You really think you can beat me without the use of your arms?"

"Not really," replied Zaku. He then wriggled one of his arms. "But this one moves a little bit." He then took the arm out of its sling. "_Zankuuha (_Decapitating Air Wave_)_!"

The spiky-haired sound ninja fired a blast of wind from the holes in his arms. Unable to defend himself from the surprise attack, Sasuke was blown away halfway across the room.

"Get up, Uchiha," ordered Zaku. "I'm not done paying you back for what you did to my arms in the Forest of Death."

"Damn," cursed Sasuke, wiping some blood from a newly formed cut on his cheek. _Damn it, if he's going to be using that technique then weapons are useless. My Sharingan's shot, I can't use ninjutsu very well, and weapons are useless. All I can depend on is taijutsu at this point. My only solace is that I'm pretty sure that I'm faster than him." _

Sasuke grabbed two kunai and charged at the Oto ninja. He slashed at Zaku, but the spiky haired genin dodged the strike. Zaku then threw a punch with his good arm, but Sasuke parried with his forearm. Sasuke then tried to stab his foe's arm but Zaku jumped away before Sasuke's attack could land.

"_If I aim for his arm, then the match will be decided," _strategized the raven-haired boy. _"I can't risk using up too much chakra, because then the mark on my next will activate. I have to end it quickly."_

Sasuke then threw the two kunai that he had at Zaku. However, Zaku blew them away with a well-timed _Zankuuha_. The two kunai were blown into the air, which Sasuke had predicted. He jumped after one of the kunai and caught it. In a fluid motion, he threw the regained kunai at Zaku. Zaku had been left open from his previous attack, leading him unable to avoid being hit in the shoulder by Sasuke's attack.

"_Damn, he moved in what little time he had to avoid getting his arm injured," _cursed Sasuke.

"Damn you, Uchiha!" cursed Zaku, painfully taking his other arm out of his sling. "I'll kill you with this! _Zankuukyokuha _(Extreme Decapitating Air Waves)!"

Zaku fired off a massive blast of air from both his hands, trapping Sasuke in a large explosion of air. The raven haired teen fell through the air like a rag doll before hitting the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" called worried a Sakura and Ino.

"Oh crap, Sasuke! What's up with you!"

"_Is this as far as he goes?" _mentally asked Kakashi.

"_What will you do now, Sasuke?" _thought the disguised Orochimaru.

"_Shit!" _cursed Sasuke as he struggled to his feet. _"I won't lose," _he thought, activating his Sharingan. He then cried in pain as the Curse Mark began to crawl up his neck. _"I won't lose! I won't lose! I won't LOSE!" _With each reassurance of himself, Sasuke pushed back the Curse Mark, much to the surprise of several spectators, namely all the Konoha jonin, Orochimaru, and Dosu.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (_Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu)!"

Sasuke spat a fireball at Zaku, but the sound ninja blew it away once again. However, this fireball had be a distraction, as after it had dissipated, Zaku lost sight of Sasuke. Sasuke then showed up right under Zaku and kicked him into the air. He then tailed the Oto ninja on his flight, acting like his shadow.

"_Impossible, that's the…" _thought Might Guy up in the observation deck next to his team.

"_When did he get a chance to copy the Omote Renge (Initial Lotus)?" _wondered Rock Lee.

Sasuke then proceeded to do his _Shishi Rendan_ on Zaku, knocking him out at the end of the technique. The recoil from the attack also affected Sasuke, causing him to fall to the ground afterwards.

"_Like I even have to check," _thought Hayate, checking on Zaku's consciousness. He then looked over to see Sasuke standing back up. "I'm stopping the fight here, thereby making Sasuke Uchiha the winner. Uchiha has passed the preliminaries and will move on to compete in the third exam.

Sasuke nearly fell back to the ground in exhaustion but Kakashi stopped his fall. "Good job, Sasuke."

"Sasuke, what a lame way to win!" called Naruto. "You look like _you_ were the one who got his ass kicked!"

"_Damn moron," _thought Sasuke. _"But he's right though. Plus I really have to thank that Rock Lee kid. If he hadn't used that technique on me before, I'd be sunk."_

"_Mastering part of the Omote Renge without going through the grueling training involved is damn near impossible," _thought Guy, _"even with the Sharingan at his disposal. Plus the way he finished up the technique on his own like that… he reminds me a lot of you, Kakashi."_

"_Wonderful," _thought Orochimaru, evilly licking his lips. _"This is the blood of the Uchiha!"_

"Sasuke, can you walk?" asked Kakashi. "We're going to go seal up that nasty curse on your neck."

"Can it wait until after the preliminaries?" Sasuke asked. "I'd like to see the rest of the matches."

"No. If we try to wait it'll be too late. And I don't want any arguing from you either. Besides we can't get in the way of the next matchup."

The match decider went through it's naming cycle and the two names that came up were Tenten and Temari. Kakashi and Sasuke left the fighters' arena as Temari and Tenten walked down onto the field.

"Now we'll begin the second match," Hayate coughed.

"_That's one of Lee-kun's teammates," _thought Sakura, referring to Tenten.

"_That's that girl from the Sand," _thought Kiba, looking at Temari. _"She's with that crazy kid with the gourd."_

"You may now begin the match," said Hayate.

Tenten made the first move by jumping into the air and throwing several shuriken at Temari, however the Suna kunoichi deflected the weapons with her large fan.

"_So that's what she was carrying on her back," _noted Tenten.

Temari then swung her fan and Tenten was hit with a large gust of wind, however, she managed to land back on her feet.

"_Damn, she's a wind user…"_

MEANWHILE

Sasuke was sitting in a cryptic-looking sealing circle that Kakashi had finished making. His body was covered in markings matching the ones in the circle. Kakashi finished making several hand seals then placed his hand on Sasuke's curse mark.

"_Fuuja Houin (_Evil Sealing Method)_!"_

The markings from the circle made their way up Sasuke's body, forming a circle around the Curse Mark. Sasuke screamed in pain during the whole ritual.

"The next time that curse tries to activate, the seal should contain its power," explained Kakashi after the screams were over. "However, the seal relies on your own strength of will. If you let the curse try to take your over, it will."

Hearing this last piece of advice, Sasuke passed out from exhaustion.

"Take this chance to rest, you've earned it."

"So you can use sealing jutsu now, Kakashi," came a voice from behind the masked jonin. "You've grown."

Kakashi looked in shock and horror as the onlooker came out from the shadows: Orochimaru.


	4. A Fated Battle

"Orochimaru, what have you come here for?" asked Kakashi.

"I'm not here to see _you_, Kakashi," answered the pale-skinned man. "I'm here for the boy behind you."

"Why are you even after Sasuke?"

"You're quite the lucky man, Kakashi. You already have what I want. Specifically in your left eye."

"The Sharingan? Just what are your intentions?"

"As you know, Otogakure belongs to me. Just from that, you could probably tell."

"It's a foolish ambition."

"Something like that. And for that purpose, I need many pieces."

"And Sasuke is just another one of those pieces?"

"No, Sasuke is a highly important piece. The kids taking the test right now… are just my pawns."

MEANWHILE

"No way," said Lee in disbelief.

"For Tenten's attacks to be rendered useless…" said Neji.

Temari stood in the fighter's arena surrounded by several hundreds – even thousands – of weapons. Tenten lay limply on her giant fan.

"How boring," the blond Suna kunoichi said.

"_The Sand Village is quite a contender this year," _thought the Hokage.

MEANWHILE

"If you take one step closer to Sasuke, I won't hesitate," said Kakashi, activating his Raikiri. "Even if you are one of _those_ three ninjas. Right now, I can at least hold you off."

"Everything you do and say is futile," taunted Orochimaru. "That seal you placed is meaningless. You understand that to achieve a goal, the heart accepts even the most evil power. That is Sasuke's type: the avenger." The pale man then turned to leave. "Sasuke will seek me out, seeking power. Also, if you want to kill me, then try to do it now. That is, if you can."

Orochimaru then sent a wave of massive killing intent towards Kakashi, who stood trembling. _"Hold _him _off? Am I crazy?"_

Orochimaru left the room, laughing that evil laugh of his.

MEANWHILE

"Well, I guess we should start the next match," said Hayate.

Naruto and Sakura awaited for the next match to be decided when Kakashi dropped in on them.

"Kakashi-sensei, how's Sasuke-kun?" asked a worried Sakura.

"He's fine, just taking a rest," answered Kakashi with his one-eyed smile. _"Although under the watchful eye of several ANBU." _"And it looks like the next match has been decided."

Sure enough, the machine had finished its cycle and the next two names were Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.

The two rival kunoichi made their way to the fighter's arena.

"_Sakura, I never thought I'd have to end up fighting you here," _thought Ino.

"_It may not look like it, but Ino is an exceptional shinobi," _thought Asuma. _"Sasuke would've had the best overall grade in the Academy, but having a low grade in cooperation brought down his average. That's where Ino beats Sakura. But will she be able to go all out against Sakura?"_

"Oh man, those two?" complained Shikamaru. "This is going to be such a pain."

"Ino, I have no intention of fighting you for Sasuke-kun right now," said Sakura taking off her forehead protector. "First of all you and Sasuke don't make a very good match. Plus I'm stronger than you now, so I don't have to worry about you anymore."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, Sakura?" asked Ino, glaring at her rival. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Crybaby!"

"Sensei, isn't Sakura going a little too far with the trash talk?" asked Naruto. "Ino's got some scary eyes there."

"Sakura isn't the type to brag to her opponents," said Kakashi. "She's doing this so that Ino takes her seriously, so that she doesn't pull any punches.

"_Ino, a few years ago you told me that I was like a bud, and that you wouldn't know whether or not that bud would bloom into something beautiful. I wanted that to be true. You were my goal, I wanted to be as strong as you. That's why this fight has to be an all out fight."_

"Why are they so serious like that?" asked Naruto.

"Think of it like you were fighting Sasuke," answered Kakashi. "Rivalries work in strange ways."

Ino then took off her forehead protector as well. The two kunoichi then tied the bands around their foreheads, a symbol of an all out battle between two equals.

Sakura charged at Ino, making several handseals. After the sequence was over, there were three Sakura's charging at Ino.

"_A basic clone jutsu," _scoffed Ino. "This isn't the Academy you know!" She then threw three kunai, one for each Sakura. Two kunai went right through the two clones and the third nicked Sakura's shoulder.

"_I need to bring my chakra to my feet," _thought Sakura, _"and make it explode!"_

Sakura burst forward with a punch that connected square with Ino's jaw.

"If you think I'm the same crybaby I used to be, then you'll end up hurting," warned the pink-haired kunoichi. "Get serious Ino!"

"You'll regret saying that," Ino countered, rubbing her cheek.

"Nice one Sakura!" cheered Naruto.

"It's no wonder, she has incredible chakra control for a rookie," explained Kakashi. "Gathering chakra from any part of her body and using it at the precise moment is high-level. Sasuke probably couldn't pull it off."

Sakura and Ino charged at each other, this time bringing taijutsu into the fray. Sakura threw a punch, which Ino blocked with her forearm. Ino used the opportunity to deliver a roundhouse kick to Sakura's face. Ino then used her flexibility to deliver a kick straight up to Sakura's jaw. The pink haired genin stumbled backward but managed to remain standing. She then reached for a shuriken but Ino countered with her own.

The two kunoichi didn't miss a beat charging at each other again. This time they delivered punches at the same time, right to each other's jaws.

"_They're dead even," _thought Hayate. _"This could take a while."_

"There's no way that you can be equal with me damn it!" swore Ino.

"You're right, how could I be equal with someone so focused on her own body image," taunted Sakura.

"You'd better quit it, bitch!" hissed Ino.

"What a moron, letting the opponent's trash talk get to her," mumbled Shikamaru.

In her anger, Ino grabbed her ponytail in one hand and a kunai in the other. Then, to the surprise of most of the people in the room, Ino cut her hair.

"I'm going to end this right now!" snapped Ino, throwing her hair on the ground. "I'll force you to surrender!" Ino then placed her hands in an odd hand seal.

"It can't be!" said Asuma.

"Ino, are you crazy!" yelled Shikamaru. "You're going to use the _Shintenshin no Jutsu _(Mind Body Switch Technique)!"


End file.
